By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Backlash
Streamed May 6, 2023 live on Peacock
San Juan, Puerto Rico at Coliseo de Puerto Rico
There were no Kickoff Show matches… The event opened with a video package… A drone camera started outside the venue and traveled in the doors and then into the main arena area while Michael Cole and Corey Graves checked in on commentary. They hyped Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes and the Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest matches as a double main event. The Spanish broadcast team of Marcelo Rodriguez and Jerry Soto checked in briefly…
Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair made her entrance to a strong reaction. Iyo Sky came out to her own entrance theme and was not accompanied to the ring by Bayley or Dakota Kai…
1. Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky for the Raw Women’s Championship. Ring announcer Samatha Irvin delivered in-ring introductions for the match. There was a mix of “Iyo” chants and boos for Sky, while Belair was cheered loudly. There was a “Let’s go Iyo” chant. The vocal fans sided with Sky and booed Belair’s early offensive moves.
Belair put Sky down with a dropkick and was booed. She followed up with a pair of bodyslams. Belair went for another, but Sky slipped away and wrenched Belair’s left arm over the top rope. Sky went to the ropes and grabbed Belair’s ponytail and then put her in a submission hold, which she save up once the referee’s count reached four.
Sky continued to target Belair’s left arm while Cole noted that there were 17,944 fans in attendance. A loud “Iyo” chant broke out while Sky worked the arm and drover he knees onto it. Belair eventually came back with a backbreaker and immediately sold her arm.
Belair performed a vertical suplex and looked to the crowd. She got some cheers but more boos. Belair nodded at the crowd and then mounted Sky in the corner and threw punches at her while the fans counted along in Spanish. Belair followed up by pressing Sky over her head. Belair sold her left arm and held up Sky with one hand before dumping her face first in a rough spot. Belair performed a handspring into a standing moonsault for a near fall.
Sky got back to her feet and seemed fine despite taking a rough landing. Sky once again wrenched Belair’s bad arm over the top rope and then played to the cheering crowd. Sky performed a springboard missile dropkick that knocked Belair out of the ring. Sky kipped up and was cheered.
Sky went up top, but Belair recovered and pushed Sky into the ring. Belair went up top and attempted a 450 splash, but Sky put her knees up. Sky put Belair in a crossface, which Belair escaped. Belair hoisted up Sky for a powerbomb, but Sky countered into a facebuster for a near fall.
Belair countered a Sky move attempted into a KOD attempt, but Sky slipped away. Belair went for the move again, but this time Sky slipped out and sent Belair to ringside. Belair reached in the ring and tried to pull Sky to the floor. Sky kicked her away and joined her at ringside.
Sky put Belair down with a kick and then hit a top rope moonsault onto her at ringside. Sky pushed Belair inside the ring and then covered her for a two count. Sky put Belair on the top rope and eventually went for a huracanrana, but Belair blocked it. Belair performed a sit-out powerbomb from the middle rope and covered Sky for a near fall. Belair looked shocked that she didn’t get the pin.
Bayley and Dakota Kai walked to ringside and distracted Belair. Sky grabbed Belair’s ponytail, but Belair hit her with a forearm. Belair hoisted up Sky for the KOD and swung Sky’s legs to knock Kai off the apron. Sky countered into a roll up for a good near fall.
Bayley reached in and grabbed Sky’s hand. Belair pulled Bayley inside the ring and tried to throw her through the ropes and eventually got her under the bottom rope. Sky pulled Belair into the middle rope and then Kai kicked Belair from ringside while the referee was distracted by Bayley.
Sky went to the top rope. Meanwhile, Bayley grabbed Belair’s ponytail while Sky was on the ropes. The referee caught Bayley. Sky eventually and went for a moonsault, but Belair avoided it. Belair hit the KOD on Sky and pinned her.
Bianca Belair defeated Iyo Sky in 18:00 to retain the Raw Women’s Championship.
Cole noted that Belair would become the longest reigning champion of the modern era. Graves explained that Bayley seemed to overstep her boundaries, which cost Sky. Belair held up her title and played to the crowd. The boo birds disappeared and the Belair fans cheered…
Powell’s POV: Wow, that was a fun opening match, thanks in large part to the live crowd unexpectedly siding with Sky. There were some clunky moments, but the passionate live crowd couldn’t have cared less. It was very interesting to hear the crowd shift. There were Sky supporters during the entrances, but Belair was cheered loudly while Sky received more of a mixed reaction. Once the match started, the Sky supporters seemed to grow in numbers while the Belair fans were silent. And then the Belair fans were the only fans making noise afterward. I’m just happy the broadcast team didn’t label Puerto Rico as Bizarro World South, but the night is young.
Bad Bunny was shown sitting backstage with a couple of friends when Rey Mysterio entered the room. Bunny and Rey hugged and spoke in Spanish to one another. Savio Vega entered the room and presented Bad Bunny with a kendo stick that had the flag of Puerto Rico design on it…
The broadcast team spoke about new rosters while the graphics for the new Raw and Smackdown rosters were shown. They also hyped the start of the tournament for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship…
Cole said they would return after a break, while Peacock premium viewers saw a video package that spotlighted the Seth Rollins vs. Omos match…
Entrances for the match followed. The crowd sang the Rollins’ entrance theme and cheered him loudly. As Rollins led the crowd in chanting his theme, Omos hit him with a big boot before the bell. The referee checked with Rollins and then started the match once he was ready..
2. Seth Rollins vs. Omos (w/MVP). Omos put Rollins down with a shoulder block that turned Rollins inside out once the bell rang. The fans continued to chant the Rollins’ theme. Omos applied what Cole labeled an iron claw and then tossed Rollins over the top rope. Omos stood in the ring and mugged for the crowd while MVP jawed at Rollins on the floor.
Omos went to ringside and then scooped up Rollins, who slipped away and shoved Omos shoulder-first into the ring post. Rollins went back to the ring and performed a suicide dive that failed to take Omos off his feet. Rollins went for a second suicide dive, but Omos caught him and chokeslammed him onto the ring apron. Omos pressed Rollins over his head and threw him over the top rope and back inside the ring.
Omos returned to the ring and performed Snake Eyes and then put Rollins down with a big boot. Omos played to the booing crowd again and mocked them by acting like he couldn’t hear them. Omos hoisted up Rollins, who put him in a sleeper. Omos flung Rollins off of his back to break the hold. Rollins went to the ropes and hit Omos with a flying knee.
Rollins kicked the left knee of Omos a few times. Rollins ran the ropes and ducked a couple of chops before kicking Omos’s left leg out from under him. Rollins superkicked Omos. Rollins set up for a Pedigree, but Omos back body dropped him while resting on one knee. Omos went for a corner splash that Rollins avoided. Rollins ran Omos’s head onto the top of the ring post casing.
Rollins went to the middle rope and performed a tornado DDT. Rollins went up top and performed a frog splash. Rollins went for the immediate pin, but Omos kicked out aggressively at one. Rollins hit a couple of rolling elbows and then went to the middle rope, jumped, and hit Omos with a shot to the back of the head.
Rollins went for the Stomp, but Omos didn’t budge. Omos stood up and chokeslammed Rollins and covered him for a near fall. Rollins avoided another chokeslam and put Omos in a sleeper. Omos backed him into the corner to break it, but Rollins reapplied the hold. Omos dropped to one knee while Rollins maintained the sleeper. Omos stood up and then side slammed Rollins.
MVP climbed onto the apron and jawed at the referee. Rollins performed a Stomp on Omos and then superkicked MVP off the apron. Rollins performed a second Stomp on Omos and then covered him, but Omos kicked out at two. Rollins acted stunned by Omos kicking out after taking a pair of Stomps.
Rollins went up top and waited for Omos to stand up. Rollins leapt from the top rope and Stomped the head of Omos on the way down. Rollins covered Omos and got the three count while Cole labeled the move a Super Stomp…
Seth Rollins defeated Omos in 10:30.
Powell’s POV: An enjoyable match with Rollins finally coming up with a way to beat the giant. Omos is in dire need of a meaningful win. Omos can’t just keep winning throwaway squash matches on television and then lose every time he faces someone meaningful or his PLE matches won’t mean anything.
After some advertising, footage aired of the Damian Priest and Bad Bunny portion of the Backlash press conference on Friday… Entrances for the U.S. Championship match took place…
3. Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed in a Triple Threat for the U.S. Championship. The bell rang and Theory charged Lashley, who put him down with a shoulder block. Lashley got the better of Reed. Lashley shoved Theory toward Reed, who caught Theory’s head under his arm, and then Lashley clotheslined Reed, who DDT’d Theory in the process.
With Reed at ringside. Lashley held up Theory before putting him down with a vertical suplex. Theory came back by tripping Lashley, and then Reed returned to the ring by immediately splashing the fallen Lashley. Reed sent Lashley to the corner and splashed him, and then Theory clotheslined Lashley.
Theory and Reed worked together for a moment by putting the boots to Lashley. Theory put Lashley down and then Reed performed a rolling splash. Theory sent Lashley to the corner and then hit him with a clothesline. When Theory turned around, Reed slammed into Theory. Lashley recovered and sent Reed to ringside and then performed a one-armed slam on Theory.
Lashley speared Theory and went for the pin, but Reed pulled Lashley to ringside and superkicked him. Reed went to the middle rope and then performed a Vader Bomb style dove at a standing Lashley. Reed sent Lashley back inside the ring and went up top for his finisher, but Theory crotched Reed.
Theory set up Lashley for his finisher, but Lashley slipped away and put Theory in the Hurt Lock. Theory used his feet to push off the ropes and into a pinning situation to break the hold. Reed immediately Tsunami splashed Lashley and had him pinned, but Theory broke it up.
Theory performed a roll into a leaping Blockbuster on Reed. Theory called for his finisher, but Reed slipped out and power slammed Theory. Reed went for a top rope moonsault that Theory avoided. When Reed stood up, Lashley speared him. Theory threw Lashley out of the ring and stole the pin…
Austin Theory defeated Bronson Reed and Bobby Lashley in 6:50 in a Triple Threat to retain the U.S. Championship.
Powell’s POV: They worked at a really consistent pace through the nearly seven-minute match. As down as I’ve been on WWE creative for booking Theory like a soft pest heel champion, I was fine with him stealing the pin. I could have done without Reed taking the loss, but it came off like Reed went all in with the moonsault and crashed and burned more than it being a case of his opponents simply being better than him.
After some ads, a video package set up the Smackdown Women’s Championship match… Entrances for the match took place. Rhea Ripley was out first. Zelina Vega entered to the new LWO theme and had Puerto Rican flag colors. Vega spread her arms to show off the country’s flag as part of her gear. Awesome. She stopped at ringside and greeted her family members…
4. Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Samantha Irvin delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Vega got emotional as the fans cheered her loudly. Cole said Vega dedicated the moment to her late father, who was killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Early in the match, Vega went to ringside and grabbed a flip-flop from her mother and threw it at Ripley. Cole said those of Puerto Rican heritage would understand the significance. Ripley came right back with a powerbomb and then dominated Vega for a stretch.
Ripley eventually crashed into the ring post. Vega went on the offensive with a series of forearms and a pair of clotheslines, but Ripley stayed on her feet. Ripley caught Vega with a headbutt. Ripley set up for her Riptide finisher, but Vega countered into a DDT.
Vega followed up with a 619. Vega went to the middle rope and did the Eddie Guerrero shimmy before performing a meteora for a near fall. Ripley cut off Vega with a kick to the head. Ripley hit her Riptide finisher and then pinned Vega clean.
Rhea Ripley defeated Zelina Vega in 7:10 to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
After Ripley headed to the back, Vega got to her feet and was emotional as the crowd gave her a standing ovation. Vega blew a kiss to her family and waved to the fans before exiting the ring…
Powell’s POV: The match concluded with the expected outcome, but the real story was Vega getting to have the biggest match of her career in front of friends and family in Puerto Rico. What a special moment. Good for Vega and her family.
After some ads and videos, a video package set up the San Juan Street Fight… Entrances for the match took place with Damian Priest coming out in new gear. Bad Bunny came out with a chain around his neck and the Puerto Rican flag kendo stick. He stopped and grabbed a shopping cart filled with weapons. Graves said it was happening on the island that made hardcore famous…
5. Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight. Bunny entered the ring without any weapons and played to the fired up crowd. Graves spoke about the respect he has for Bad Bunny, noting that he’s not a celebrity who stopped by just because he wants to promote something. The bell rang and then Bunny and Priest went face to face. Priest shoved Bunny to the mat.
Priest backed Bunny into a corner and wound up to hit him. Bunny flinched. Priest soft slapped his face in a condescending manner. Bunny came right back with a powerbomb, but Priest immediately kicked out. Priest regained offensive control and broke a kendo stick over his knee and eventually crotch chopped the crowd.
Bunny rallied and performed a jaw jacker. Bunny went to the middle rope and threw a couple of punches at Priest, who grabbed him and stared walking, but Bunny rolled him up. Priest regrouped again and put Bunny down and then hit him with a leaping elbow in the corner.
Priest hit his South of Heaven chokeslam finisher and had the pin, but he opted to pull Bunny off the apron. Priest went to ringside and pulled an axe handle out of the shopping cart. Priest brought it to the ring and then decided he didn’t need a weapon. Bunny hit Priest with a chair. Bunny pulled a kendo stick out from underneath the ring and beat Priest with it.
Priest executed a tornado DDT. When Priest stood up, Bunny clotheslined him over the top rope. Bunny went to the top rope and performed a crossbody block onto Priest on the floor. “How many Grammy award winners have you seen do that?” Cole asked.
Bunny grabbed a pair of trashcan lids and worked over Priest with them. Bunny picked up a kendo stick and then worked over Priest with it inside the ring. Priest caught the kendo stick and tossed Bunny across the ring. Bunny got up and hit a running elbow in the corner. Bunny executed a Michinoku Driver for a near fall.
Priest rolled to the floor and discovered that he had a bloody nose, which made him glare at Bunny. In the ring, Bunny used his foot to draw an imaginary line. Priest opted to walk out. Bunny grabbed a trashcan and followed Priest, who turned around and kicked the trashcan, which struck Bunny in the head.
Priest beat Bunny with weapons, including the Puerto Rican flag kendo stick. Priest tossed Bunny into the timekeepers area. Priest mocked the crowd and then he and Bunny fought into the crowd near production row. Priest caught Bunny with a kick to the head. Bunny grabbed a crew member to hold himself up.
Priest got Bunny on top of two production road cases and then removed his own shirt. Bunny fought back with punches. Priest threw a punch and then performed a broken arrow through a couple of covered tables that were next to the road cases.
Adam Pearce and Shawn Daivari checked on Bunny. “He’s not done until I’m done,” Priest said. Priest brought Bunny back to ringside and kicked him a couple times. Priest went for a spin kick that Bunny ducked, causing Priest’s foot to hit the ring post casing.
Priest rolled back inside the ring. Bunny followed with a kendo stick, who he used to beat Priest’s bad left leg. Bunny charged Priest, who put his foot up, but Bunny grabbed his bad leg and wrenched it over his own shoulder. Priest could be heard expressing concern about his bad knee to the referee. Bunny wrapped Priest’s legs around the post and then drove the bad leg into it several times.
Bunny grabbed a chain, Priest tried to talk Bunny down, but Bunny took the chain and hooked it around Priest’s leg before pulling it into the post. Bunny grabbed a chair and hit Priest’s leg with it. Back in the ring, Bunny stood over Priest with a chair. Priest pleaded for mercy. Bunny lowered the chair and then Priest booted Bunny’s face. Priest got to his feet and wound up to use the chair, but Bunny low-blowed him.
Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor ran out and attacked Bunny. Rey Mysterio showed up to help. Carlito’s entrance music played and he ran in and cleared Balor and Dom from the ring. Carlito took a bite out of an apple, which got a big reaction from the crowd.
Dom returned to the ring, but Rey took him out with a 619. Carlito spat the apple in Dom’s face. Rey and Carlito chased Dom and Balor to the entrance aisle. Savio Vega made his entrance dressed in an LWO to a big ovation. Balor and Dom opted to go after Savio, but he motioned for them to stop.
LWO members Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro, and Joaquin Wilde made their entrance and put the boots to Dom while Balor slipped away. Savio threw a series of chops and a big kick at Balor. Dom approached Vega and got some chops of his own. The babyfaces chased Balor and Dom to the back.
In the ring, Priest went for a spin kick, but his leg gave out. Bad Bunny put Priest in a figure four. Priest ended up on his back and took a two count before sitting up and glaring at Bunny, who then punched Priest’s bad knee. Priest grabbed Bunny by the throat and broke the hold. Priest set up for a chokeslam, but Bunny countered into a pin for a near fall.
Priest lunged at Bunny, who moved, and Priest went head first into a chair that was wedged between the ropes in a corner of the ring. Bunny performed Sliced Bread No. 2 for a near fall. Bunny went to ringside and returned with a chair, which he repeatedly slammed over the back of Priest. Bunny executed a Canadian Destroyer and scored the clean pin…
Bad Bunny defeated Damian Priest in 25:00 in a San Juan Street Fight.
Afterward, Bunny celebrated and then Carlito, Savio, Rey, Escobar, Del Toro, and Wilde returned to the ring. They all hoisted up Bunny, who held up the Puerto Rican flag. Bunny went to ringside and slapped hands with fans as he made his way to the back…
Powell’s POV: The perfect ending to Backlash. Wait, there’s more? How does anything top that match in terms of pleasing this live crowd? Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes have their work cut out for them. That was a blast and the live crowd ate it up. It was really cool to see Savio and Carlito get involved.
A video package set up the six-man tag match and then entrances for the match took place. The crowd was as loud as ever for Sami Zayn’s entrance theme…
6. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Matt Riddle vs. Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa in a six-man tag match. Graves said Owens would have fit right in during the heyday of pro wrestling in Puerto Rico due to the hardcore style. Once the Usos failed to gain the early advantage, Sikoa tagged in and the Usos motioned for him to have at it.
Sikoa backed Zayn into the corner and fired punches and then headbutts at him. Sikoa tossed Zayn into his corner and then looked at Jimmy, who said that’s how you do it. Jimmy tagged in and the heels isolated Zayn. The crowd chanted “We want Roman” briefly.
Zayn eventually fought off Jey and sent him to ringside. Zayn crawled toward Owens for a tag, but Owens pulled Owens off the apron and slammed him onto the ring steps. Zayn eventually made a hot tag to Riddle, who got the better of both Usos with a series of fast paced offense.
The Usos rolled to ringside. Riddle booted Sikoa from the apron and then performed a springboard corkscrew moonsault onto all three heels. Back in the ring, Jimmy caught Riddle with a superkick and covered him for a near fall. Jimmy went up top, but Riddle cut him off and suplexed him across the ring. Owens made it back to his corner.
Owens tagged in and went right up top and executed a Swanton on Jimmy for a near fall. Jimmy stuffed a stunner. Owens stuffed a superkick and then hit Jimmy with one of his own. Jimmy threw a superkick at Owens, who ducked, causing Jey to take the superkick. Owens superkicked Jimmy and Sikoa, and then hit a Popup Powerbomb on Jey, which led to a good near fall.
Owens went for a Swanton on Jey, who put his knees up. Owens and Jey traded strikes. Jey blocked a Stunner and blasted Owens with a superkick. Owens returned the favor. Jey fired back with another superkick. Owens bounced off the ropes and drilled Jey with a clothesline. Both men stayed down for a moment and then tagged out.
Zayn and Jimmy entered the ring. Zayn put Jimmy down with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Zayn went up top and was cut off by a kick from Jimmy, who kicked Zayn and then backed into his corner where Jey tagged in. The Usos set up for a double superplex, but Zayn fought them off and leapt from the rope rope into a double superkick. Jey covered Zayn for a near fall.
Jey barked at Zayn that it’s his fault and slapped him while Zayn was lying in his corner. Jey removed his t-shirt and threw it at Zayn. Jey held up his index finger and played to the crowd with an Uso chant along. Sikoa tagged himself in and then glared at Jey, who went to the apron and then tagged himself back in. Sikoa was pissed. Jey told him he was doing it.
Zayn went for a Helluva Kick on Jey, who ducked it, causing Zayn to take out Sikoa. Zayn put Jey down with an exploder suplex. When Jey stood up, Zayn hit the Helluva Kick and had him beat, but Sikoa returned to break up the pin. Cole said the issues between the brothers nearly cost the family and Roman Reigns couldn’t be happy.
Sikoa held his jaw while looking back and forth at Zayn and Jey. Sikoa opted to move toward Jey, but Riddle returned and hit him with a flying knee. A short time later, Sikoa put Owens down with the Samoan Spike. In the heat of the moment, Sikoa grabbed Jey and set up for the Spike, but he stopped short.
Moments later, Jey put Zayn down with a superkick. Jey went for a top rope splash, but Zayn put his knees up and hooked Jey into a pin for a two count. Riddle tagged in and ate a superkick from Jey, but then hit him with a knee to the face. Sikoa made a blind tag. Riddle hit Bro Derek on Jey. Sikoa entered the ring and put Riddle down with a Samoan Spike and then pinned him.
Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa defeated Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Matt Riddle in a six-man tag match in 22:00.
After the match, Sikoa wasn’t happy. The Usos raised their index fingers. Sikoa eventually let out a primal scream to celebrate with them…
Powell’s POV: A strong match. I spent the first half of the match feeling like it felt inconsequential given all of the high profile matches the babyfaces have had with The Bloodline, but the issues between Sikoa and Jey definitely grabbed my attention. Cole made sure to hype that Roman Reigns is returning on Smackdown, so this was a good win for the Bloodline and a nice way to set up a big segment for Friday.
After some ads, a video package set up the main event… Cody Rhodes made his entrance. “Woah Oh” is universal. Cody was nice enough to yell the name of my podcast again before his pyro shot off. Coincidence? Yes. Anyway, Cody presented his weight belt to a young fan in the front row. Cody entered the ring and kissed the mat.
Brock Lesnar made his entrance. It’s been far too long since Brock’s sponsored shorts made me hungry for a sub sandwich. Cole note that Lesnar is a free agent who can appear on Raw or Smackdown. Cole noted that Lesnar has not explained why he attacked Rhodes the night after WrestleMania. Brock started to take his lap around the ring when Cody hit him with a suicide dive. Cody bashed Lesnar with the top piece of the ring steps several times and then pulled out a chair and slammed it over Lesnar’s back repeatedly. Graves explained that it was all legal before the bell.
7. Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes. Lesnar rolled inside the ring. Cody brought a chair with him, but the referee took it and called for the bell. Lesnar drove Cody into the corner, but Rhodes came right back with a pair of Disaster Kicks. Cody set up for another springboard move, but Lesnar caught him and performed a German Suplex.
A “Suplex City” chant broke out. Lesnar smiled and then grabbed Cody and gave him another German Suplex. Lesnar grabbed Cody and tossed him across the ring with another German suplex. The camera closed in on Lesnar’s back to show the damage that Cody did to it with his pre match attack. Lesnar targeted the left knee of Rhodes while the “Suplex City” chants continued.
Lesnar nodded and then gave Rhodes another release German Suplex, which drew some cheers from the crowd. Lesnar performed another German Suplex. Cody grabbed the corner and pulled off a turnbuckle pad when Lesnar gave him another German Suplex. Lesnar grabbed Cody and bear hugged him. Cody tried to elbow his way free, but Lesnar suplexed him again. Lesnar laughed.
Lesnar approached Cody in the corner. Cody kicked Lesnar’s legs, causing Lesnar to fall forward and crash head-first into the exposed turnbuckle. Lesnar immediately started to bleed heavily from the forehead. Cody put Lesnar down with a cutter. Cody performed a Disaster Kick. Cody threw punches at Lesnar’s forehead and then hit him with a knee to the face.
Cody hit the Cody Cutter. Cody performed CrossRhodes on Lesnar twice and then covered him for a good near fall. Cody set up for another CrossRhodes, but this time Lesnar sprang to life and hit Cody with an F5 and then covered him for a near fall, which could be seen coming because a wide-eyed Cody was watching the referee’s count.
Cody threw punches at Lesnar’s forehead. Lesnar grabbed Cody’s arm and put him in a Kimura lock. Cody teased tapping. Graves said Lesnar would break Cody’s arm if he didn’t tap. Cody rolled on top of Lesnar, who held the Kimura lock while Rhodes got the three count.
Cody Rhodes beat Brock Lesnar in 9:40.
Lesnar looked shocked afterward while Cody rolled out of the ring and continued to sell arm pain. Cole said Lesnar couldn’t believe it and neither could he. Cody headed to the back while Lesnar wiped his bloody head with a towel. Cole said Cody was back on the road to finishing the story…
A Backlash highlight video closed the show…
Powell’s POV: A clever finish that gave Cody a pinfall win without doing any damage to Lesnar. While there were definitely Lesnar fans in the crowd, it didn’t come off like they were anti-Cody.
Overall, this was a really good show. It wasn’t a big spectacle stadium event, but the Puerto Rican crowd was fantastic and every match delivered. A strong case can be made for the Bad Bunny match belonging in the main event slot, but it ultimately the crowd remained hot and it didn’t hurt the show. Jake Barnett and I will team up later tonight with our WWE Backlash audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let us know what you thought of the show by voting for the best match and grading the overall event below.
Before I comment, I made some negative remarks about Bianca Belair and her braid during Wrestlemania. For that I apologize.
Boos for Belair? Here’s hoping they turn her soon. Io crushed this and showed that she is more then ready for a title run. Was there any cheers for Belair? This reminds me of the crowd turning on Trish when she took on Mickie James at Wrestlemania. That press slam was impressive. I was not expecting Io to be using submissions. Charlotte, that’s how you do the moonsault. Great counter to the hurracanrana. Io showed something tonight. Welcome to the main event. Great match.
A rare Savio Vega sighting!!! The hits keep coming. I always thought he was underrated during his run.
I gotta say, Omos was pretty good and can be a good big man. Be honest, we’re never going to talk about that 5 star Omos match, but he’s not Great Khali bad. That stomp block was awesome. Omos more than held up his end looking like an unstoppable monster. Problem is he’s lost to Braun, lost to Brock, and now Seth. If he doesn’t start winning in these big matches, he’s going to lose his aura.
Bronson Reed reminds me of Bam Bam Bigelow. To me that match was alright. Theory proves to be a great opportunistic champion. I just wish they could have founf some other way to end a triple threat match. The wrestler A hits his finisher on wrestler B only for wrestler C to throw wrestler A out of the ring and steal the pin has been so overdone it’s made triple threat matches way to predictable.
Wrestling fan continue to show how dumb they are…
Zelina’s crowd support was amazing. Loved the flip flop spot. Match went as expected with Rhea dominating and Zelina getting some hope spots. I liked the way the match ended. It was like Rhea said “I’m over this!” and put Zelina down in dramatic fashion with the riptide. Even though it was predictable, I really enjoyed that match.
Jeremy, you got my curiosity peaked. Are the fans in attendance dumb, or me? What have I said that you disagree with?
Priest is a star. Period
Bunny vs Priest was a blast! It should have been the closer.
This was a great brawl. I like the story told where Bad Bunny was mostly outclassed but took advantage of all of Damian Priest’s mistakes and his overconfidence. Normally I would call this an overbooked mess, but I enjoyed this match. Nice to see Carlito. I would not mind seeing Bad Bunny wrestle more. Damian deserves a great push coming out of this match.
Does WWE understand the meaning of main event? How do you call a matcha co-main event and put it on before a non-main event match.
For me, the tag match was good, but was only there to further the issues between the Bloodline. Hopefully on Smackdown they will pull the trigger on Reigns throwing out the USOs. My question is where does Sami and Kevin go from here? Hopefully Imperium is in their future.
Bad Bunny vs Damian Priest should have been the real Main Event
Typical Brock Lesnar match after Cody’s quick start. Suplex City!! I never really understood the bear hug. I always hated seeing that move applied. They had to give Lesnar the out with the exposed turnbuckle. This was the only match I didn’t really enjoy, especially with the weak finish. Bunny and Priest should have closed the show.
I don’t care if they were in Puerto Rico, Zelina shouldn’t have beaten Rhea
at this point bianca is like the female roman reigns…meaning she never loses….with that being said she was booed a lot tonight and the crowd was clearly behind sky even though we all know she was not going to win lol….so wwe has 2 choices now going forward with bianca….1) have her lose the title soon like at summer slam or you just going to destroy the peoples love for her that will turn to hate and honestly destroy her baby face character…..or 2) turn her heel and she can continue on as champ until next year at mania cause the boos will fuel her reign even longer lol
I may be in the minority, but I get tired of all the d**n kick outs. The betting site should have a over/under on how many kick outs there are in a match.
Not sure what was worse, the non build up to Backlash show, or the show Backlash itself.
Carl is a prime example of what I meant by wrestling fans being idiots.
Enough with the unprovoked insults. Be better.
And she didn’t…
WWE fans are tired of boring Bianca. It’s not unexpected they were behind Io at all!
Next week in WWE – Brock Lesnar loses a No Holds Barred match to Rod Stewart and The Usos are pinned by the Jonas Brothers.
Omas is doing alright for a Big Man he needs to win Big matches he has lost to Braun , Lesner and now Seth Rollins….all the talk MVP does to help get him over does not mean a thing if he doesn’t win matches that will help him and mean something.
Amazing PLE. Was annoying that they cut to the Spanish Announcers at the start of the show and they said something about Carlito, kind of dented the surprise. Other than that, every match was great!
Something was off in the Omos match. Right before MVP jumped on the apron he passed Omos his cane, which he hid by rolling onto his stomach, after the stomp it went flying out the ring, which even the announcers didn’t point out that it may have weakened him more
A supposed singer slaps around Dom and beats Priest. Judgement day is over. What happened to the super kick being a finisher ?
what happened to the superkick being a finisher is the same thing that happened to the DDT being a finisher, the piledriver being a finisher, the cutter being a finisher, or the Canadian destroyer being a finisher. As time passes those moves start being used by more and more people as regular moves, and at that point they’re only finishers for individuals who specifically choose it as their finisher. That’s how wrestling works, a wrestler will use a move as a finisher, the move gets over, 10 years later dozens of wrestlers use it as a transitional move.
And it pisses me off every time! I just shake my head at how even the Poison Rana is just a routine move that wrestlers bounce back from five seconds later.
Awww Carl apologized. Excuse me while I throw up for someone apologizine for a harmless comment but finding the need to do so because he realzes how weak this country is.
Hey, a rapper beat a pro wrestler, and not a jobber pro wrestler, either. Great!
My god, you’re such an easily triggered d-bag. I’m sorry your life sucks so much, Angry Mike.